“I do not draw a sharp line, or any distinction, between economics and ethics.“

MAHATMA GANDHI

DOING BUSINESS:
THE RIGHT WAY

Alessi believes that a company’s primary social role is that of doing business and the consequences this has on the context. True Corporate Social Responsibility consists first and foremost of carrying out one’s own activities with care: producing economic value, creating products that are good for people, and valuing people’s work.

As well as this, Alessi has always promoted social responsibility initiatives that go beyond its regular activities. The company runs cultural, social and environmental projects that pay special attention to others and the context in hand.

These initiatives have always formed part of Alessi’s family and company culture. And over the years they have proven to be of great strategic importance for the company itself as they enable it to cultivate and strengthen its relations with its interlocutors away from the professional sphere. Not an outlay of resources, therefore, but an investment for the future.

Since 2011 these activities have been mapped in four action areas:

•“Impact Management”, namely actions to protect the safety and dignity of people, as well as the environment

•“People”, namely initiatives to strengthen relations with its employees

•“Culture”: activities designed to share the experience acquired by Alessi in the design sphere

•“Social”, which includes solidarity activities in the community and at international level.

These activities - regular and ‘extraordinary’ - characterise Alessi’s approach to “doing business”, which is based on the belief that the good of society and the good of the business are not mutually exclusive - and even less so antithetical - but that they influence each other in a virtuous manner to the point that, in the long term, they are inextricably linked.

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BUON LAVORO
A FACTORY FOR THE CITY

Alessi has always been particularly sensitive and attentive to ethical conduct in its various spheres of activity. In 2013, together with Goodpoint it launched “Buon Lavoro – A Factory for the City”. This innovative and original social responsibility initiative also, and above all, was a way to face up to the recession head on. It emphasised the value of people’s work, of creating a virtuous cycle that contributes positively to society while working in the interests of the company. The project stemmed from the need to manage production overcapacity in the historic Crusinallo plant following the strategic decision to maintain a substantial part of its production in Italy. The company attempted to use its labour force in a “different” way, employing it in socially useful activities for the benefit of the community in which the company operates. Around 300 employees voluntarily signed up for the project for a total of 9000 hours dedicated to the Municipality of Omegna and the Cusio Social Services Association.

ALESSI FOR CHILDREN

At Alessi we believe that design should be used to improve people’s lives. This is why the company has been involved in a series of local and international charitable projects for some time. Alessi has in effect reconceived traditional philanthropy to create projects that reflect the company’s nature. Its initiatives not only have an important social impact but also are an instrument by which the company cultivates and strengthens its relationship with its stakeholders.

Since 2006 Alessi has partnered Ai.Bi. (Amici dei Bambini) with projects involving various countries that attempt to provide a better future for children with no families all around the world.

ALESSI SpA considers the principles of protecting the life and dignity of workers and the environment to be an essential part of its activities of design, production and sale of household items, small furniture and accessories for the home and catering,

To this end ALESSI SpA is seriously committed to the development, production, distribution and marketing of products whose environmental impact, in their manufacture and in the end stage of life, is reduced continuously and to ensuring the health and safety of production workers at its sites.

OUR COMMITMENTS ARE

To create and maintain an organisational structure that complies with the requirements of UNI EN ISO 14001:2004 and BS OHSAS 18001:2007, considering environmental protection and health and safety at work as an integral part of corporate decision-making.
To ensure absolute compliance with national and local legislation on the protection of health and safety at work and environmental protection.
To assess any risks to safety and health, and all the significant environmental aspects of work activities.
To the continuous improvement of business performance in terms of the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases, and in terms of control of any significant environmental aspects and the prevention of pollution.

To pursue improvement objectives:

•to reduce the risk of injury for employees and anyone with access to the workplace;
•to reduce environmental impacts arising from its activities;
•to reduce the quantity of waste products;
•to reduce water consumption.

To sensitise and train staff in health and safety and environmental protection, promoting responsible behaviour and a culture of accident prevention and environmental protection.

To raise awareness among suppliers on the protection of health and safety and the environmental aspects of their activities.

To control any emergencies, managing them according to specific programmed procedures and action plans.

To perform internal audits to monitor performance in terms of health and safety at work and environmental protection, in order to pursue continuous improvement.
To communicate its policy on the environment and public safety to all interested parties.